


Accepting a Challenge

by firewolfsg



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 15:16:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4630110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firewolfsg/pseuds/firewolfsg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The news of the new transfer from the FBI Seattle field office had upset Erin Strauss, but this was just one of the challenges her Section Chief was throwing in her teeth to show her worthiness of eventually ascending to his position. After all, the second gender discrimination laws were in place to ensure Alphas and Betas were given a fair chance in the work force. And Omegas were no less protected too, even if they were preciously rare in their society.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Accepting a Challenge

**Author's Note:**

> Jack Fickler is from Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, but this was just an idea that long before he made FBI Director, he started out as a Section Chief when Erin Strauss was just a Unit Chief.
> 
> This is hopefully the start of a series of stories.

"You have got to be out of your mind!"

"Good morning to you too, Agent Strauss."

As close as she was to Section Chief Jack Fickler, Erin understood that the way he was addressing her would be his only subtle warning that she was being out of line.

"Sir, there's never been a field operational Omega in the history of the FBI." She modulated her words to appeal to the Alpha who was her mentor. Surely he was in the same position to understand the almost primal stirrings in her breast.

"Erin, the second gender discrimination laws were put in place decades ago for the 7% of Alphas and 10% of betas  which constitute our population, but they are intended for the extremely rare 0.0003 % that are Omegas as well, be they female or male." Fickler sighed as he waved to the seat in front of his desk.

"But--"

"Ryan stole him from *SWAT*. He *led* one of the units. His records even show he was shaping up to becoming one of their best negotiators. I think you'll at least agree with me that we *don't* want Aaron Hotchner to return to his old squad?"

The expression on her face became even more aghast to think of the part of the law enforcement arm Hotchner once belonged to. However, before she could voice her displeasure over the idea of a precious Omega being so irresponsibly endangered, the name registered.

"Ryan? But it was Rossi who--"

"Believe me, Dave may have thought he discovered the man in the Seattle office when he was there investigating that Womb Raider killer, but it was Ryan who spotted Hotchner's talent and got him to the Seattle FBI office in the first place.

"Max was none too pleased that Dave extended the invitation to join them in Quantico before him. And Dave's not any happier that Max didn't tell any of them sooner that he was grooming this little treasure.

"They're both impressed with his profiling skills, Erin. I may have dismissed just Ryan's gushing, but Rossi saw it in the pup too and that was just within the couple of minutes they worked together in Seattle." Fickler pointed at the file in front of her. "They both want him, and I've no doubt Gideon will too the moment they meet."

"Wait? So Ryan meant for Hotchner to join Gideon and Rossi's pack?" Erin strangled the giggle before it could erupt. "Ryan thought he'd give those two *Prime* Alphas an Omega to make up for him retiring? Those two will go to war over him!"

"Don't we know it?" Fickler's expression turned serious as he slid a file towards her. "He's not just a pretty face, Agent Strauss. I spoke to Ryan before I signed the transfer. That wily old Alpha's been grooming the pup since they met in a DA's office five years ago.

"DA--?" Now Erin was furious. "If he was a lawyer, how did he--?"

"Yes, he was a public prosecutor, with a damn fine conviction rating at that." He held up his hand to forestall her from further outrage. "Believe me, I had words with Ryan about career nudging an Omega out of his safe legal offices into SWAT. We couldn't get him into the FBI fast enough."

"Sir!?"

"We weren't about to leave him in the Seattle office either." The Section Chief's eyes bored into her. "He's SWAT trained, and if he wasn't on the command / negotiator track, his marksmanship skills would have directed him towards sniper training.

"Profilers don't have to carry guns. You know we'll do our best to suggest that to him, Erin."

"Profilers didn't use to go out on the field either until Max Ryan." Erin gritted her teeth. "White collar wouldn't require him in the field outside of offices or the courtroom. He's a lawyer, he'd do very well there."

"And Max Ryan put a bee in his bonnet about joining the BSU."

"But--"

"Read his file, Erin."

She looked reluctantly at the Manila folder pushed across the desk. A few seconds later, Erin had to clamp a hand over her mouth to halt the giggle as her eyes caught the first section of personal information regarding Aaron Hotchner. "He's married?"

"Going on five years now--" Her Section Chief full out grinned at her. "To a Beta woman."

A sharp bark of laughter escaped her before she could stop it. Noticing the serious eyes still observing her, Erin forced herself to detach her emotions and read the file which was shared with her. She had to reluctantly admit that if Hotchner was a common Gamma like the vast majority of the population, he would be a man she would have been enthused to have under her command. Still--

"We have a White Collar division, Sir." She reminded him again cautiously. "With his experience as a Prosecutor--"

"Ryan thinks he has the makings of a top Profiler. His success record at the Seattle office was proving it. And the old wolf has been passing him old case files and 'marking' him on the accuracy of the profiles he's returned.

"98% on the nose. The pup is good, Erin. Ryan's thinking of the generation after Gideon and Rossi."

Erin struggled with the idea. It was against all her instincts as an Alpha to expose an Omega to the danger of field work. Rossi and Gideon especially were adamant about bringing their team on the scene to give better assessments on the cases.

But Hotchner came to them from SWAT. Under no circumstance would she want him to return to that far more dangerous career.

However, it still boggled her mind that an Omega could thrive and command respect in the testosterone heavy Alpha environment of SWAT. She stared at the glowing assessments in Aaron Hotchner's file.

"A Prime... Sir? You think--"

"How could he be anything else?" Her Section Chief's expression was especially predatory.

This would be a coup indeed for the FBI to lay claim on this extremely rare Secondary Gender sapient. Only a precious handful of Prime Omegas ever emerged in a century, and it had been rarer still for them to be recognised with their talents nurtured. Still...

"Are we so sure?"

"You know as well as I that there's no reliable test for this."

"Were there no strong enough Alphas in his squad?"

Fickler grinned at her again. "He's a natural leader, Erin. He had them all cowed and following after him like a brood of ducklings."

This time she bit her lip to control her amusement. "The Ultimate Omega Mom?"

"You got it in one." He gave her mock shudder. Then he looked her in the eye again. "Is it going to be a problem?"

Erin dropped her eyes to the file again to escape his regard. She knew that she was but one of the candidates the Section Chief was grooming to take over his position when he eventually ascended to the station of Assistant Director. The writing was on the wall for his promotion to happen. This was as much a challenge to her as it was to Gideon and Rossi to take charge of a bonded Omega as a subordinate.

Not for the first time was Erin glad the Omega gender was such a tiny percentage of the population. Alphas were uncommon enough as it was and most would probably never encounter an Omega in their life time. Be that as it may though, all Alphas in the FBI took a mandatory course on etiquette, self-control and protocol when encountering an Omega.

Erin wasn't quite sure how she would actually behave when she met Aaron Hotchner in person. She had to acknowledge that she was already nearly out of her mind with protective outrage at just the idea of an Omega joining the FBI. But that really was *her* problem.

"No, Sir. I will not have a problem with this." A light smirk crossed her lips. "Gideon and Rossi though..."

"Male and already bonded." The Section Chief reminded her with a growl.

"Thank god for that. If it was an unbound female Omega..." She narrowed her eyes at him and pointed at herself with her next words. "Alpha, but happily bound to a beta male with two children and working on number three."

"No offence meant, Erin." Fickler waved her down. "The pup has-- dimples."

She snorted as she looked at the smiling picture in the file. "Thank god he's already bound then." She had to shake her head. "Imagine the devastation he'd cause out there." Erin sighed. "They are going to detest his wife."

"She must have known what she was signing up for when she married him." He looked a little wistfully at the file. "I've met the couple, actually. No worries about pheromones. He's fully bound and happy. They're very in love. He'll never cheat on her."

She looked at her superior out of the corner of her eye. "You're not so sure of the wife."

"You're not supposed to be a Profiler, Erin." He scowled unhappily at her.

"Female intuition." She smirked. Her eyes fell upon the picture in the file again. "Dimples-- God help us."

"Agent Strauss..."

"I will have his back. Like you have ours."

"That's all I ask, Erin." Fickler looked upon her seriously. "If you're going to be his Section Chief in due course..."

"I won't let you down, Sir."

Erin determined that how ever much her Alpha instincts may fight her to try and side line Hotchner to keep him safe, she would be fair when she eventually rose to that position. Her mentor's eyes would be on her and she would never want to disappoint him. She just hoped the Omega wouldn't inadvertently stomp on her instincts too much when doing his job.

With Rossi and Gideon as mentors though... Erin had the sour thought that she might as well kiss her peace of mind good bye.  The two alphas had a habit of getting into the worse scraps. However, maybe if they were lucky, Hotchner's presence might calm them down a bit to be more careful about taking chances and also have a concern about having a precious Omega in their midst. One could hope...

The End (and hopefully a new beginning)

Thanks for Reading.

Cheers, firewolf


End file.
